In a shocking turn of events, massive Israeli airstrikes have shaken the outskirts of the central Syrian city of Palmyra. Reports indicate that the attacks were carried out by Israeli jets using US-controlled airspace over the Al-Tanf military base in eastern Syria.
According to Sputnik, “Israeli warplanes launched a number of missiles from the airspace of the [US] base in the Al-Tanf area on the Syrian–Iraqi–Jordanian border, targeting the vicinity of the city of Palmyra.”
Israeli attacks on Palmyra are rare due to the town’s location deep in central Syria and the eastern desert. The Al-Tanf base, where the airstrikes originated, is situated just over 200km from Palmyra and has been under US occupation for several years.
Syrian state media has reported a significant number of casualties, with at least 36 people killed and over 50 wounded in the attack. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) stated, “At approximately 1:30 p.m. today, the Israeli enemy launched an air attack from the direction of Al-Tanf area, targeting a number of buildings in Palmyra City in the Syrian Desert, leading to the martyrdom of 36 people, the injury of more than 50 others, and significant material damage.”
Palmyra, known for its ancient Roman ruins and UNESCO World Heritage site status, was partially damaged when it fell to the Islamic State in 2015. Syrian government forces, supported by Russian airstrikes, were able to reclaim the city by March 2016.
Accusations have been made against American forces stationed at Al-Tanf for allegedly training terrorists and aiding their movements to destabilize the Syrian government.
Israel has ramped up its airstrikes on Syria in recent months, with the attacks on Palmyra marking one of the deadliest incidents this year. While Israel claims to target ‘Iranian assets’ in its operations, the Syrian government asserts that both military personnel and civilians were among those killed in the airstrikes.